'Indian ultra-luxury car market to grow more than 20 percent': Sharad Agarwal, Head, Lamborghini India

Sharad Agarwal, Head of Lamborghini India says that the country's domestic supercar market which has cars priced from Rs 2-9 crore is expected to grow by more than 20 percent "from 450 units in FY22 to 540 units by the end of FY24, due to wealth-creating industries such as IT and infrastructure that are giving way to newer unicorns and fuelling HNIs' dreams of owning a super luxury car."

Automobili Lamborghini launched the Urus S, the successor to the original Urus, which carved out a new Super SUV niche in the luxury segment. 

Speaking on the sidelines of the launch, Agarwal said, the Indian ultra-luxury car market has already surpassed its 2018 high of 315 units and there is no looking back for its bouquet of Lamborghini brands Urus, Aventador, and Huracan super luxury cars which dominate the market with a roughly 20 percent market share in the category alongside competition from Bentley, Ferrari, Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin, Porsche, and Mercedes Maybach.

Sharing the rationale behind the Urus S, Agarwal said its a unique combination of different forces adding everyday usability and versatility to a Lamborghini which did not exist before has brought "the driving dynamics and emotions of a super sports car to an SUV "

Because the country levies a 28 percent GST on automobiles, with additional cess ranging from 1 percent to 22 percent, depending on the type of vehicle, high taxation has always been a challenge for supercar makers looking to expand their market in the country.

Fully imported vehicles are subject to customs duties ranging from 60 percent to 100 percent , depending on the engine size and the cost, insurance, and freight (CIF), which can exceed US$40,000 in some cases. About Automobili Lamborghini's global strategy, Agarwal stated that the supercar manufacturer will begin introducing cleaner plug-in-hybrid vehicles in 2024 and will invest Euro 1.8 billion in this endeavour over the next four years.

Notwithstanding such challenges, Agarwal is betting big on the Plug-in Hybrid Urus that will be introduced in 2023 as part of Lamborghini's commitment to a cleaner planet, followed by the Hybrid Hurracan in 2025, and the all-electric Urus in 2028.

The MD of Lamborghini India said that 2022 was a record year for the brand in India and the company was in one of the best shapes in its history, with 92 growth cars delivered, a 33 percent increase over the previous year. 

The current waiting period for these cars ranges from 18 to 24 months, with the company sitting on an order pile of more than 100 super luxury cars. Automobili Lamborghini has sold over 475 cars in the country since its debut in 2007, senior company officials said.

The company which has three dealerships in Delhi, Bengaluru, and Mumbai is seeing strong growth coming out South especially from Telangana as one of the states enjoying the fruits of fast-paced economic development.

"Indian supercar Aficionados are taking their beauties to various racing tracks across the country to test them to the maximum," Agarwal says, adding that this trend is picking up and increasing the appetite for supercars in the country.

The country today currently has two race tracks in Chennai, and one in Delhi. Many private players are adding individual race tracks on the outskirts of Delhi, Hyderabad, and Pune. F1 Racing legend Narain Karthikeyan has added his race track in Coimbatore which is fuelling the community of consumers who want to unleash their speed devils and feel the adrenaline rush of invigorating the G-forces. 

Such trends, Agarwal says have made the Lamborghini Super SUV the most successful model in Lamborghini's history because it "defines lifestyle performance, luxury, and versatility in the Lamborghini Super SUV delivering increased power, matching output to performance with its V8 twin-turbo engine producing 850 Nm of torque." 

He further explained that the 'Urus S' has an improved acceleration of 0-100 km/h in 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 305 km/h and six drive modes plus EGO mode for the most versatile, comfortable, and sporty Super SUV experience in every environment.

The Urus S, Agarwal claims, delivers increased power combined with luxurious versatility and presence to confirm its status as the ultimate lifestyle Lamborghini Super SUV, alongside the new Urus Performante, for those seeking maximum sports performance. 

The company claims it is the sportiest SUV and a Lamborghini to drive every day: the Urus S sits perfectly alongside the new Urus Performance, for those choosing the purest sublimation of performance, luxury, and versatility.

Sharing his vision for the growth of super luxury cars, Agarwal said "We are seeing a very strong push for road infrastructure pan India. Cities are being linked by expressways, which will increase demand for Sports luxury SUVs."

The Urus S delivers an improved weight-to-power ratio of 3.3 kg/CV. Acceleration is improved, with the Urus S propelling from 0-100 km/h in 3.5 seconds and 0-200 km/h in 12.5 seconds. With a top speed of 305km/h, the Urus S brakes from 100 km/h back to zero in just 33.7m. Its twin-turbo engine delivers 850 Nm of maximum torque already at 2,300 rpm up to a maximum of 6,000 rpm.